You may also experience flu-like symptoms, such as aches, a high temperature (fever), chills and tiredness.

When to seek medical advice

You should contact your GP as soon as possible if you think you might have mastitis. Before your appointment it may help to try some self-help measures (see below).

It's important to see your GP promptly because there is a risk that mastitis could lead to a breast abscess (a painful collection of pus), which may need to be drained surgically.

Breast abscesses can be serious if not spotted or treated quickly; it's estimated that 1 in every 10 women who develop them are unable to breastfeed using the affected breast again.

Diagnosing mastitis

Your GP will often be able to diagnose mastitis based on your symptoms and an examination of your breasts.

If you're breastfeeding, they may ask you to demonstrate your technique. Try not to feel as if you are being tested or blamed – breastfeeding correctly can take time and practice.

If your symptoms are particularly severe, you have had recurrent episodes of mastitis, or you have been given antibiotics and your condition hasn't improved, your GP may decide to take a small sample of your breast milk for testing.

This will help determine whether you have a bacterial infection and can identify the specific type of bacteria responsible for your condition. Knowing which bacteria are causing the infection will allow your GP to prescribe an antibiotic that is specifically effective against those bacteria.

If you have mastitis and are not breastfeeding, your GP may refer you to hospital for a specialist examination and a breast scan to rule out other conditions, particularly if your symptoms haven’t improved after a few days of treatment. Scans you may have include an ultrasound scan or a mammogram (X-ray of the breast).

How mastitis is treated

Mastitis can usually be easily treated and most women will make a full recovery very quickly.

if you are breastfeeding, continuing to feed your baby and making sure your baby is properly attached to your breast

Breastfeeding your baby when you have mastitis, even if you have an infection, will not harm your baby and can help improve your symptoms. It may also help to feed more frequently than usual, express any remaining milk after a feed and express milk between feeds.

For non-breastfeeding women with mastitis, and breastfeeding women with a suspected infection, a course of antibiotic tablets will usually be prescribed to bring the infection under control.